There is a staff shortage both city and volunteers, that cannot handle the load, which means, care,
walking dogs and helping adoptions. It puts stress on current staff and causes burn out.
We expect a change of policy immediately to full service of city services for the animals and communities
of Los Angeles. We look forward to this change and the proper care administered to the animals.
Thank you,
The appointment only system has a good point, which is a quality visit and assistance with finding an
adoptable pet. The bad points are canceled appointments, running out of the one hour time slot and not
finishing an adoption, hindrance to others walking in to name a few.
The shelter has to create a fun, encouraging, supportive atmosphere to bring traffic in. Not be a place of
despotism and sorrow.
Thank you for collaborating,
Paul Darrigo
CHULA - Citizens for a Humane Los Angeles
https://www.facebook.com/groups/773416409436730/
------------------------------
FROM:
Kristen Hassen
Favorites · dotsntM8A35ucl A u9pf1t62r: a 0im4 ·
“Why is it so hard to help pets?”
The reason animal shelter volunteer programs desperately need an overhaul
Here’s how it usually works in an animal shelter: Fill out a long application. Wait. Maybe hear back about a volunteer orientation
to be held in the next two months. Maybe be told there are no upcoming orientations. Eventually attend a three-hour seated
orientation in a room with a screen and a canned presentation. Wait. Get invited to start volunteering. Show up. Feel really
confused. Try to figure it out. Get told by (insert any person here) that you’re breaking one or more rules. Maybe walk some dogs
or pet a cat. Either stick it out (all you assertive types) or walk away and spend your valuable free time elsewhere because that
whole experience took a lot of time and just felt bad.
Important to note: Volunteer coordinators are, more often than not, amazing people - they’re innovative, kind, good listeners, and
people who truly care about both pets and humans. The fact that your volunteer program is terrible isn’t their fault. Being a
volunteer coordinator is one of the most important, and hardest jobs in the shelter so let’s just take a minute to say ‘thank you’ to
animal shelter volunteer coordinators. We love you.
The trouble is, they’re powerless over the system they’ve been thrown into and that old system is plagued by arbitrary rules,
barriers of every kind, lack of resources, red tape, and long waits at every turn. Because of this, volunteer coordinators are stuck
in an endless cycle of high volume recruitment, stale onboarding, and training processes, and a ‘weeding out’ process that means
only about 10% of people who want to volunteer ever make it through the hoops required to get that t-shirt and name badge.
Fixing this is going to take a total refresh and rethinking of volunteer programs. Here are just a few of my ideas for how we
transform the old volunteer system into a brand-new world of people helping pets - one free of arbitrary barriers and confined
roles.
1. Volunteer drop-in hours on evenings and weekends. Anyone can come and volunteer, no training is required. During these
times, staff and volunteers can talk about how they can become part of the formal volunteer program and share the opportunities
that are available.
2. Volunteers can foster any pet, any time. I mean, can you imagine a bigger perk? Volunteers can be enrolled as fosters as part of
the volunteer enrollment process so no additional paperwork is needed.